AFL Player 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett - Stepping down as captain for 2026

[Doss]

EMPATHY IS FOR THE WEAK

IF YOU DON’T PISS CONCRETE YOU’RE WOKE

 

[ant555]

Can’t someone from the club get on the phone to Tim Watson and tell him to stfu if he wants any more paid gigs involving the club. Deadset not helping the situation

It is a bit strange from him given he has not really rated the list and the Merrett situation is clearly a rebuild issue.

 

[doug85]

Logged in for Merrett talk, got patented school of hard knocks lessons in never admitting to feelings instead.

FACTS DONT CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS

 

[NAB777]

Can’t someone from the club get on the phone to Tim Watson and tell him to stfu if he wants any more paid gigs involving the club. Deadset not helping the situation

What's he saying?

 

[Blind Turn]

FTFY

Exactly mate. There’s this thing called ‘good faith’ in the industry and if you start playing dirty then the good faith is lost and we will pillage you in the future and we won’t trade with you in the now. I really hope that this is our mantra within the club.

 

[Howard Moon]

I can't be sure, but I get a slight inclination blind turn has a bit of a thing for Hawthorn

 

[Blind Turn]

I can't be sure, but I get a slight inclination blind turn has a bit of a thing for Hawthorn

I blame Colin Robertson. He started it.

 

[Blind Turn]

EMPATHY IS FOR THE WEAK

I know a good exorcist for when you’ve been possessed by the recently deceased.

 

[gillon]

Well there's your problem right there... she'd be the last person I'd believe. I reckon the journos are all playing that telephone game (we used to call it chinese whispers) and a lot of stuff is being taken out of context or embellished.

It’s just great that journalists can make defamatory claims such as Merrett being ‘disrespectful’ to AFLW players and provide basically zero context. Cornes gave her a potential example and she reluctantly agreed.

 

[DallasCrane316]

 

[Howard Moon]

He came to them! Pls..

Last week the narrative was we will do what we see fit to improve our club, I'd hope our list management team are doing what they need to do

Now it's, oh we were just sitting round playing Uno when there was a knock on the door, it was Zach he wanted in

 

[thepokey]

Ralph is now pushing the idea that we "will have to accept Hawthorns best offer". Here comes the new wave of "welp, since Merrett wants out Essendon will have no choice but to accept peanuts" stories. Between this and the false narrative that Laverde meeting GWS is part of an exodus it's clear they are actively barracking for Essendon to suffer. Creates more stories and clicks. Footy journalistic integrity is in the ****ing bin.

 

[thebigboy]

Ralph is now pushing the idea that we "will have to accept Hawthorns best offer". Here comes the new wave of "welp, since Merrett wants out Essendon will have no choice but to accept peanuts" stories. Between this and the false narrative that Laverde meeting GWS is part of an exodus it's clear they are actively barracking for Essendon to suffer. Creates more stories and clicks. Footy journalistic integrity is in the ****ing bin.

Ralph & Jay Clark seem to be very favorable to the Hawthorn angle in all of this. My guess is that they're being fed this through their Hawthorn sources to put the pressure on us after more than a few journalists/commentators have criticized Merrett's handling of this.

 

[BrunoV]

Logged in for Merrett talk, got patented school of hard knocks lessons in never admitting to feelings instead.

So at this point in time you want to hear about how hurt people at the club are? Including Scott whose 2 years of dithering directly contributed to this and was arguably the final straw.

That gives you the confidence that the people in charge have the cultural rebuild under control?

It tells me they accept no responsibility, qualified responsibility is not acceptance, and that their egos are diving their decision making.

 

[Howard Moon]

Ralph & Jay Clark seem to be very favorable to the Hawthorn angle in all of this. My guess is that they're being fed this through their Hawthorn sources to put the pressure on us after more than a few journalists/commentators have criticized Merrett's handling of this.

Who do we have, Twomey? He's not Gunna cut it.

 

[BrunoV]

Ralph is now pushing the idea that we "will have to accept Hawthorns best offer". Here comes the new wave of "welp, since Merrett wants out Essendon will have no choice but to accept peanuts" stories. Between this and the false narrative that Laverde meeting GWS is part of an exodus it's clear they are actively barracking for Essendon to suffer. Creates more stories and clicks. Footy journalistic integrity is in the ****ing bin.

News Flash.

We do once it gets into the realm of that pick 8 +.

Edit: what is the actual point in holding Merrett to his contract? Will that be a net benefit?

 

[MiguelM]

Ralph & Jay Clark seem to be very favorable to the Hawthorn angle in all of this. My guess is that they're being fed this through their Hawthorn sources to put the pressure on us after more than a few journalists/commentators have criticized Merrett's handling of this.

And they have nothing from us!

 

[thepokey]

News Flash.

We do once it gets into the realm of that pick 8 +.

We really do not unless we are weak as piss. We can hold him to his contract. You seem to want us to fold though

 

[Loonerty]

We really do not unless we are weak as piss. We can hold him to his contract. You seem to want us to fold though

Any choice we make will be the bad one according to Bruno.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I’d rather keep him for two years and let him walk than just take pick 8 this year. No one in football would think that’s a fair deal. Ralph just making stuff up again like his bs Draper story at the start of the season

 

[thepokey]

Any choice we make will be the bad one according to Bruno.

True, accept unders for him and that will then be the wrong thing to do. Don't trade him? Wrong thing to do. Clearly the only thing that can fix this is James Hird

 

[Doss]

So at this point in time you want to hear about how hurt people at the club are? Including Scott whose 2 years of dithering directly contributed to this and was arguably the final straw.

That gives you the confidence that the people in charge have the cultural rebuild under control?

It tells me they accept no responsibility, qualified responsibility is not acceptance, and that their egos are diving their decision making.

I’m pretty sure you’d be potting our approach no matter what it actually is, so honestly I’m paying no heed.

 

[BrunoV]

I’m pretty sure you’d be potting our approach no matter what it actually is, so honestly I’m paying no heed.

That's convenient, isn't it?

 

[Doss]

That's convenient, isn't it?

It can be as convenient or inconvenient as you please, Bruno.

 

[lenny2013]

There is no way we are letting our captain and only A-grader go for pick 8.

Pi$$ and $hit can belt it.